This relates generally to electronic devices and, more particularly, to electronic devices with connectors such as printed circuit connectors.
Electronic devices often include substrates such as printed circuits on which integrated circuits and other electrical components are mounted. Rigid printed circuits are formed from materials such as fiberglass-filled epoxy that are inflexible. Flexible printed circuits are formed from layers of polyimide or other sheets of flexible polymer. Integrated circuits, sensors, cameras, and other components may be mounted to pattered metal traces on rigid and flexible printed circuits.
When assembling an electronic device, it is sometimes necessary to couple substrates such as printed circuits together. For example, it may be necessary to couple a flexible printed circuit to a rigid printed circuit board or to attach a pair of flexible printed circuits to each other.
Connectors such as board-to-board connectors can be used to form printed circuit connections such as these. In a typical configuration, a first printed circuit may be provided with a first board-to-board connector and a second printed circuit may be provided with a mating second board-to-board connector. During assembly operations, the first and second board-to-board connectors may be coupled to each other. For example, a technician or a robotic assembly device may plug one of the board-to-board connectors into the other.
Electronic devices that include board-to-board connectors are sometimes subjected to drop events or other conditions that have the potential to disturb board-to-board connections. If care is not taken, a board-to-board connector may come loose, rendering an electronic device inoperable.
To address concerns with board-to-board connectors becoming loose, some manufacturers of electronic devices wrap board-to-board connectors with tape. The tape helps prevent the board-to-board connectors from coming apart during use of an electronic device, but can be difficult or impossible to replace in the event that board-to-board connectors need to be temporarily decoupled during repair operations.
It would therefore be desirable to be able to provide improved ways in which to secure board-to-board connectors.